Cox Opts for Eight Belles With On Time Girl, Paradise

Trainer Brad Cox comes into the May 1 $700,000 Eight Belles Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs with the morning-line favorite, On Time Girl  ,and a longshot in Paradise . Run at 7 furlongs on the dirt, the race is named after the late filly Eight Belles, who was a valiant second in the 2008 Kentucky Derby (G1).

On Time Girl, owned and bred by Albaugh Family Stables, won the Jan. 31 Forward Gal Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park, run at 7 furlongs, a race that carried 20 Kentucky Oaks (G1) points to the victor. The daughter of Not This Time   entered the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) Feb. 28, where she finished a distant third behind She Be Smooth  and My Miss Mo . Earning 15 Oaks points for that effort, On Time Girl had a total of 35 points on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard. While she could have entered the Oaks, as she was ahead of Lovely Grey  and Nycon , who have recently drawn into the race off the also-eligible list, her connections decided to keep her at 7 furlongs. 

Until the morning the Kentucky Oaks was set to be drawn, Paradise remained a possible contender, but Cox opted for the Eight Belles when entries came around. The 3-year-old daughter of Gun Runner   broke her maiden and won the Busher Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack at a mile distance. She then entered the 1 1/8-mile Gazelle Stakes (G3), where she was a distant third place as the post-time favorite. Owned by NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods, Paradise is a 15-1 longshot in the Eight Belles. 

Along with Cox's two entrants, Lael Stables' Luv Your Neighbor  will also run in the Eight Belles, even after earning 65 points towards the Kentucky Oaks. The Michael Stidham trainee's points came from second-place finishes in the Untapable, Silverbulletday, and Rachel Alexandra (G2) stakes, and a third-place finish in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), all at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Her only career win came at the 7-furlong distance, scoring on debut Sept. 10 at Colonial Downs. 

They will face stiff competition in the field of nine, including the Steve Asmussen-trained Goodall . Slated as the 3-1 second choice in the betting pools, the daughter of Yaupon   will be stretching out beyond 6 furlongs for the first time in her short career. Owned by Spendthrift Farm, she broke her maiden on her second attempt Feb. 14 at Fair Grounds, before running back in the March 14 Purple Martin Stakes at Oaklawn Park, where she won by 4 1/2 lengths. 

The Eight Belles is the eighth race on a jam-packed May 1 card at Churchill Downs, which is highlighted by the $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks.